Draisaitl's (Almost) Perennial Stanley Cup Despair: Panthers Again Clinch Championship
- Whatever, dude
Draisaitl relives the past: Florida Panthers secure another Stanley Cup victory - Repeating Destiny of the Panthers: Stanley Cup Triumph once more
Nico Sturm, the last man standing for the Florida Panthers, held aloft the hallowed Stanley Cup after a commanding 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7. It was the second time in his career that the German had won hockey's most coveted trophy, but for his countryman and fellow Oilers' star Leon Draisaitl, the taste of defeat lingered once more - another heartbreaking loss to the Panthers after a grueling seven-game battle.
"I'm gutted. What matters is we didn't win. That's it. We set out to hoist the Cup, lost again, and are left with nothing. We need to come back," Draisaitl said after the final defeat, adding, "We didn't score enough, conceded too many, made too many mistakes."
Silent night for Draisaitl
Draisaitl tallied an impressive 11 goals and 22 assists in 22 postseason games this season, but his shooting touch deserted him in Sunrise, Florida, on Tuesday night (local time), as he failed to get a shot on the hosts' net. Instead, team captain Connor McDavid found himself on the losing end, while Sam Reinhart led the Panthers with a hat-trick.
Reinhart spoke about the challenges of coming back from an elimination, stating, "It ain't easy to bounce back. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. But now we're here, and we've accomplished this mission."
Deja vu in the Sunshine State
The 2023 Stanley Cup Finals eerily mirrored last year's series, with the Panthers dominating the first three games before succumbing to three consecutive losses, pushing the deciding game to a seventh encounter, which the Panthers won 2-1.
This time around, the scene of jubilation in Florida was tempered by the Oilers' catastrophic collapse, as they trailed 2-0 after the opening frame. Reinhart struck first, scoring in the fifth minute, while fellow Panther Matthew Tkachuk capped off the period with a buzzer-beater. An unfortunate miscue by Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed Reinhart to add to his tally in the second period. With seven minutes remaining and the Oilers opting to pull their goalie for an extra attacker, Reinhart found the empty net for 4-0. Adding a fifth goal for good measure, the game was all but over by the time Vasili Podkolzin scored a consolation goal for the Oilers.
Sam Bennett was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs. With 15 goals and seven assists for the Panthers, Bennett emerged as a key catalyst during the most crucial phase of the season.
- Leon Draisaitl, Hockey's Unlucky Charm
- Florida Panthers, Victors Again
- Edmonton Oilers, Near Misses
- Stanley Cup, Elusive Trophy for Draisaitl
- Nico Sturm, Last Man Standing for Panthers
- Connor McDavid
- Sam Reinhart, Hero of the Final Battle
- Florida, Land of Cruel Reminders for Edmonton
- NHL, Crucible of Champions
- Germany, Homeland of Draisaitl and Sturm
- Ice Rink, Settings for Triumph and Disappointment
Insight: Draisaitl's Playoff Dominance
Leon Draisaitl turned in an exceptional performance in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals with the Edmonton Oilers, displaying his clutch scoring ability and playmaking throughout the series:
- In Game 1, Draisaitl scored the overtime power-play winner to give the Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, rallying his team from a multi-goal deficit and setting the tone for the series.
- In Game 4, Draisaitl clinched the overtime winner at 11:18 of extra time in a 5-4 comeback victory for the Oilers, tying the series 2-2. This goal marked his fourth overtime goal in the 2023 playoffs, setting a new NHL record for most overtime goals in a single postseason.
- Overall, Draisaitl's decisive contributions in critical moments, particularly during overtime, highlighted his performance in the Stanley Cup Finals. His clutch efforts were instrumental in keeping the Oilers competitive throughout the series.
- Despite Leon Draisaitl's records in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals for the Edmonton Oilers, including setting a new NHL record for most overtime goals in a single postseason, his luck seemed to falter against the Florida Panthers for the second year in a row, as he failed to score a single shot on net during their decisive Game 7.
- In stark contrast, Sam Reinhart, the Florida Panthers' leading scorer, capitalized on every opportunity and notched a hat-trick to clinch the Stanley Cup for the second time, leaving Draisaitl with yet another heartbreaking loss in the United States of America, his homecountry, Germany, watching from afar.
